Automatic sprinkler



F. T. GENTILE.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 2. 1919.

WWW July 6 W211i ei owf/ All To all whom it may concern:

.matic Sprinkler, of which FRANK ll. GENIILE, F

CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNUB 0F ONE-HALF T0 KARL M KLEEMAN, OF CANTON, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC SPEINKLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July h, 192%..

Application filed September 2, 1919. Serial No. 320,984..

Be it known that I, FRANK T. GENTILE, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Autothe following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to automatic sprinklers and more particularly to that type of sprinklers which are electrically op erated and thermally controlled.

The objects of the invention are to construct a device of this character which is electrically operated, the electric apparatus being provided with a thermostatic control adapted to operate when the temperature in the room where the device is placed has risen to a predetermined point, the thermostat closing the electric circuit, starting the electrical apparatus which automatically operates the sprinkler and turns on the Water, to. close the circuit to a fire alarm when the thermostat is operated and to provide an automatic sprinkler and a revoluble head and mechanical means electrically operated tor revolving the head so that a spray of water will be thrown in all directions as the sprinkler operates, and to provide means for automatically stopping the operation of the sprinkler when the temperature within the room has fallen to normal due to the extinguishing of the fire.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the ap pended claim, it being understoodthat various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the appended claim, without de arting from the spirit or sacrificing any 0% the advantages. of the invention. j'

The invention thus set forth in general terms is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which--- Figure 1 is .a side elevation of the sprinkler head with the motor for operating the same and the electric circuit to the thermostat and fire alarm shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the sprinkler head taken on a line at right angles to Fig. 1 and with the upper portion broken away.

Fig. 3 is an end View of the rotary valve. A practical embodiment'of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. V

The inlet pipe is shown at 1 leading from any permanent water supply to the threaded lower end of which pipe is connected the horizontally disposed cylindrical valve casing 2. The lower member 3 of a ball race is secured to the upper flattened face of the valve casing, the upper member 4: of said ball race being secured within the housing 5. The usual ball beai ngs 6 are located between the members 3 and 4 of the ball race. A sleeve portion 7, formed integral with the housing 5, extends upwardly from the housing and a beveled pinion 8 is secured to its upper extremity. The housing is sub stantially semispherical in form and is provided at its lower edge with an annular flange 9 which is-secured by screws or bolts to a similar annular flange 10 formed upon the housing 11. An elongated sleeve 12 extends downward from the housing 11 and has formed upon opposite sides adjacent its lower extremity openings 13 into which.

are extended the threaded ends of the semicircular pipes 14:, which curve upward and. are secured to an annular collar 15 fixed to the sleeve 7.

A sliding sleeve 16, closed at its lower end, extends within the lower end of the sleeve 11 and is slotted as shown at 17 to straddle each of the openings 13. Slots 18 are also formed in the sliding sleeve 16 and a screw 19 is threaded through each side of the sleeve 11 and enters one of the slots 18. Thus the vertical movement of the Hill sliding sleeve 16 will be limited by' the length of the slots 18.

Upon opposite sides of the sleeve 7, at a point intermediate the housing 5 and the ring15 is formed a pair of lugs 19' and pivoted between each pair of said lugs is a link member 20. Upon opposite sides of the sliding sleeve 16 at the lower end of said sleeve is also formed a pair of lugs 21 in alinement with the lugs 19'. A link arm 22 is pivoted between each pair of lugs 21 at its lower end, the upper end of each of said link arms being hingedly connected to the lower end of the-adjacent link member 20. A swinging arm 23 is pivoted at each of the hinge points connecting the links 20 and 22 and a weighted ball 24 is located upon each of the lower ends of the arms 23, causing the arms to hang in a vertical position from the point of suspension.

A rotary valve 25 is revolubly mounted within the valve casing 2, snugly fitting therein. A transverse bore 26 of substantially the diameter of the pipe 1 is located through the valve 25 and arranged to form a communication between the pipe 1 and the port 27, formed in the valve casing, when the valve is opened. I

A cap 28 closes eachend of the valve casing 2, packing 29 being provided between the cap and the valve '25 in order to prevent any leak in the valve. A short shaft 30 is provided upon each end of the valve 25 and extends through a suitable bearing in the adjacent cap 28, an arm 31 being rigidly connected to each of said shafts.

A yoke 32 is pivotally connected to the extremity of each arm 31 and to the upper end of the rod 33 which extends downward through the lower end of the sliding sleeve 16 and is secured by means of lock nuts 34.

It will be seen that water from the permanent source of supply entering through the pipe 1 will be normally cut off from entrance into the housing 11 by means of the valve 25. As is best shown in Fig. 2 the valve is normally held closed by means of the weighted balls 24 exerting a downward force upon the arms 22 holding the sliding sleeve 16 to which said arms are attached at the lower limit of its movement and thus through the rod 33 and yoke 32 holding the valve 25 normally in the closed position.

An electric motor 35, supported at any suitable point adjacent the sprinkler head carries a pinion 36 upon its shaft, which meshes with the pinion 8 upon the sleeve 7. Wires 37 lead from the motor to a pair of contact points 38, a similar pair of contacts 39 being spaced from the points 38. Each pair of points 38 and 39 is arranged to be bridged by means of the armature 40 of the adjacent magnet 41. Wires 42 lead from the points 39 to a suitable source of located. In the event of a fire starting in the room where the device is located the temperature of the room will necessarily rise due to the heat from the fire and when the temperature has risen to the point at which the thermostatic switch is set to operate the switch closes the circuit from the transformer to the magnets 41 energizing the magnets and moving the armatures into contact with the points 38 and 39, thus closing the circuit to the motor and also to the fire alarm box. As the motor begins to rotate the sprinkler head will be rotated by means of the pinions 36 and 8 rotating the housing and with it the pipes 14. As the links 20. and 22 and arms 23 are rotated centrifugal force will swing the balls outwardly in the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 2, exerting an upward pull upon the sliding sleeve 16. As the sleeve slides upward it carries with it the rod 33 to which the yoke 32 is connected the arms 31 upon the valve being rocked upwardly rotating the valve and bringing the bore 26 therethrough into alinement with the pipe 1 and port 27. The water is thus allowed to rush into the housing escaping through the openings 12 and into the pipes 14 from which it will be thrown in a spray through the apertures 50 provided in said pipes. The fire alarm is sounded instantaneously with the closing of thecircuit by means of the armatures 40. In the event that the fire should be extinguished by the sprinkler before the arrival of the fire department, the lowering of the temperature by the extinguishing of the fire will cause the thermostatic switch to once more operate, this time opening the circuit to the magnets allowing the armatures 40 to be released by means of the springs 51, breaking the circuit to the motor and allowing the arms 23 to drop back to their normal position, thus closing the valve and cutting off the water.

We are aware that attempts have been made in the past to construct an automatic sprinkler along the lines of our invention, but heretofore such devices have proven inoperative for the reason that the spherical member attached to the water supply was omitted as was also the toggle arrangement of the hinged links and weighted arms. Various sprinklers have been designed using the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the mechanism as a means of operating the valve to permit the water to be discharged, but in designing such device the force necessary to lift the valve against the water pressure was seemingly overlooked.

aaaaaaa at A s rinkler including a hollovv casing connecte to a Water supply, a head rotatably mounted upon said casing and inclosing the caslng, a rotatable valve Within the casing having rock arms at its extremlties, a slld- :able sleeve fitting within the lower extremity of the head, a rod carried by said slidable sleeve and connected to said rock arm and centrifugal means to raise the slidable sleeve and open the valve as the head is rotated.

- In testimony that I claim the above, ll 20 have hereunto subscribed my name.

FRANK 'l. GrlEN'llllLE. 

